You’re getting “distracted” by the “tyranny of the urgent” (and other things), when you need to be focused on your “priority” tasks to realize the best Leadership.

A good Leader can be a marvelous benefit to an organization. They tend to think creatively & quickly to solving a problem. We also aren’t afraid to explore our options, which means we’re usually considering three or four things at the same time. But when we combine all their fine attributes, as life makes leaders do, they have the unfortunate tendency to be easily distracted. And, while innocent in most contexts, the tendency to be chronically distracted may well lead to some serious consequences. Consider these ways you’re probably getting distracted and what you can do about it to improve your leadership:

1. You’re busy putting out Fires. Problems arise from every direction in a dynamic organization. On any given day, you might be faced with a computer problems down, mis-communication, a missed deadline, serious complaints or any other number of “fires” you need to put out. These are significant problems that demand immediate attention, and since you’re the Leader in charge, you take it upon yourself to try to address all of them. Unfortunately, with this leadership approach, you’ll never be finished with your work; new problems will always arise, and you’ll never make progress on your actual work. Read on . . .

2. You’re constantly pulled into un-necessary Communications. People need you. They need to get your opinion on their work. They need you to help make a decision. They need your final approval. Sometimes, they just want you to be a part of the discussion. If you leave your phone on and your computer connected to the Internet, you could be pulled in different directions all day and never get your most important work done. One of the best solutions to this may surprise you: Simply turn off all forms of communication. If a specific event isn’t an emergency, your associates will probably know to bring it up at you “open” time. Create a Schedule to focus on your work (ie, early morning – when have the most energy). Put the time when you’re available on the Schedule – like late morning or late afternoon. This is good leadership.

3. You’re caught in “inefficient” Strategies. You could also be distracted by strategies that are flat-out inefficient. If you’re so bogged down in traditional, routine strategies, you might not even realize that higher-Return on Investment [ROI] (ie, time) strategies exist. Open yourself to the realm of other possibilities, and don’t be afraid to learn some new techniques to become more efficient & effective in leadership – to be able to focus on the important things.

4. You don’t Delegate enough. Leaders still get stuck with micro-tasks, such as completing research, handling squabbles, entering data, etc. Many Leaders feel it is necessary to continuing to do them. However, trying to do too much can distract you from the tasks that only you can complete (ie, decisions) is poor leadership. You need to learn to delegate these tasks in order to stop getting distracted by them.

5. You look “too far” into the Future. You might also be so focused on your long-term goals, that you’re distracted from the here & now. The need to strike a balance if you want to be a successful leader. If you ignore short-term problems like this for too long, they may prevent you from ever getting to those end stages.

6. You lose sight of your End Goals. When you’re concerned with what’s happening to you right here & now, you may forget about the end goals of your organization. This could be due to being over-whelmed by too many things (ie, projects). You could be so focused on today that you lose sight of working toward the future goals. For example, you might choose to make a temporary fix for a serious problem, delaying a harder, but more long-term beneficial solution.

7. You don’t make enough Time for yourself. Most of the items on this list have been about “outside” sources distracting you from your important tasks. Don’t forget that your organization can also distract you from what’s important in life. If you’re so fixated on making your organization a success, you might not be spending enough time with friends, family, significant-other and taking care of your personal health. Take time away from work to renew every now and then – to clear your mind – to allow new ideas to come thru – take a walk, take a weekend, take an afternoon, take a day. Do something different !!! Otherwise, will it really matter how successful your organization & projects become ???

Conclusion: There’s no easy or final way to solve your “distraction” problems -especially with a mind as active as yours – but being aware of your worse distractions is a good way to start. Making lists and following them precisely, writing down ideas to pursue later, learning to delegate effectively, reducing or removing un-wanted distractions altogether and reminding yourself of your priorities, short-term & long-term goals can all help you.

Comments: Do you know of any other other methods to reduce or eliminate Distractions?